A Giraffe's Tale
by Kellene
Summary: Melman: He's the sometimes-shy, awkward, hypochondriac giraffe from the Bronx Zoo. How will he cope with being transferred to the Central Park Zoo, meeting the other three Zoosters, and all of their adventures? Contains events from the movies (and a few extra), and his thoughts about them! First Madagascar writing! Rated K plus just to be safe.
1. Goodbye

**Disclaimer: I do not own Madagascar. The franchise and all of its characters belong to DreamWorks. The only character I consider mine is Melman's mother. Any events that have taken place in the movies are property of DreamWorks. :)**

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_Goodbye_

"Mama!" A young giraffe shouted. A keeper stepped in front of him, blocking his view. All he could see was The Bronx Zoo uniforms of the men who held him.

"Melman!" His mother called. Melman struggled to stand, pushing against the gentle hands of the keepers. Standing, he could see above the humans' heads. He could see his mother, on the other side if the fence. She was trying to get to him. To comfort him. He pushed past the hands that were trying to restrain him.

"Mama!" He cried again, reaching the fence. "I'm scared! Where are they taking me?" He was sobbing now.

"Shh, Melman," her familiar voice reached his ears, the same voice that comforted him before each appointment, the same that offered a sweet goodnight at bedtime. "It's going to be okay. They're taking you to another zoo, where you'll make lots of new friends!" She tried her best to sound positive, but the tears falling from her eyes betrayed her sadness. She knew that she would miss him more than she could ever put into words.

"I don't want to go to another zoo! I like the doctors here! I don't want to leave you, Mama!" He pressed his face against the fence. His mother smiled sadly.

"My son," she began, looking over his shoulder to see the keepers approaching with sticks and ropes, "please go with the people. Please, for me." Melman looked at his mother, his tear-filled, bright green eyes looking into her darker, emerald-colored ones.

"When will I see you again, Mama?" He questioned, panicking. The female giraffe sighed, looking at her beloved son one last time.

"Goodbye, my beautiful baby," she whispered, as the people began to drag her son away. Melman looked at his mother, who had turned her head. She couldn't bear to watch him be taken away. The tears continued to fall. He struggled against the keepers.

"Don't let them take me, Mama!" he wailed. His mother stared at the opposite side of the enclosure. She couldn't watch. It already hurt terribly...

Melman knew that he could not fight the keepers. Reluctantly, he turned followed them, walking away from his mother.

"Thatta boy!" One of the male keepers praised. Melman paused and looked at the man with haunting eyes. The keeper's smile vanished. He dropped his head and continued. A woman guided him to a truck and trailer. She rested a hand on his shoulder, something the young giraffe found comforting. She gave him a soft pat, and he stumbled into the trailer. Then she shut the door of the trailer, making him jump.

Melman looked around. He was glad that this trailer had a high ceiling. If he had his neck bent for too long, he could develop poor posture, leading to -

He was cut off as the truck roared to life and started moving. He stuck his head out of the window, looking back at the Bronx Zoo. His home. As the truck drove away, the Bronx grew smaller and smaller. As it passed through the last set of gates, Melman looked back, not able to see much out of his watery eyes.

"Goodbye, Mama."

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**So, this was my first Madagascar fic! My first "good" one anyways... ;)**

**This first chapter was short... the rest will be longer, I promise! I typed most of this on my phone, and it's kind of hard to judge the length on that thing :3**

**The movies focus on Alex, mainly (especially the third one. Goodness) and so I thought it would be interesting to rewrite certain events, but instead focus on Melman! He's just one of those dudes you want to give a hug to, you know? Teehee**

**So anywho, I would LOVE to know what you think! Please don't be too critical, I'm kind of new at this :3**


	2. Central Park

**Disclaimer: Madagascar and its characters belong to DreamWorks. Any events that do NOT take place in the franchise anywhere belong to me :)**

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_ Central Park_

_ Where am I going? What kind of animals will be there? What if they don't like me? What I never make any friends? What if the doctors aren't certified!? Mama, why did you let them take me?_

Thoughts like these had been going through Melman's head since he had left the Bronx Zoo about a half hour before. His legs already ached from trying to keep from falling every time the trailer went over a bump in the road. He wanted to lay down, but not on this, dust-covered floor. Who knows what sort of bacteria was lurking in the unsanitary hay! Not to mention the terrible sneezing his allergies would cause…

The young giraffe was dragged from his churning thoughts by the screeching of the door. Light flooded into the trailer, temporarily blinding him. Had he reached his destination already? No, surely not. He hadn't been in the trailer long. Perhaps the people had changed their mind? Yes! That _had _to be it! They had realized they had made a mistake, and had taken him back to the Bronx! Melman eagerly stepped out into the open, ready to reunite with his friendly keepers and his mother.

"Mama!" he exclaimed. "Mama, I'm –"

He stopped suddenly, and looked around. This wasn't the Bronx. He turned around, trying to get back into the trailer, but the door had shut behind him. There were strange keepers who he had never seen before, attempting to guide him into what must be his exhibit. Melman looked around desperately for a familiar face, but there wasn't one. One of the new keepers gently prodded him with a stick. He moved forward a few paces. And then a few more. He stepped inside of a tall, brick shelter. The keeper proceeded to poke him until he heard the gates shut behind him.

Melman looked around, slightly disoriented. So this was his new home? This tiny building? He shuddered. He hated being in small spaces. There was a net with fresh hay in it hanging from a wall, and on the ground below was a water trough. He spread his legs to take a drink, when he heard voices outside.

"Marty! What're you doin'?" a female voice cried. "Leave the poor guy alone!"

"Aww, c'mon, Glo!" another voice pleaded. "I was jus' gonna go and say hi!" Melman's ears twitched. There was more to his habitat than this. Thank heavens. He peered cautiously around the corner to see a tall doorway, where the smell of fresh air drifted in from the outdoors.

_ Who is Marty? Is he a giraffe like me? What about the girl? What if they don't like me?_

"We _know_ you're in there!" Marty pointed out. Then there was a loud _smack!_ "Ow!" Melman stifled a laugh. Marty just got hit by a _girl._ He stuck his head outside, looking for the two animals. At first he didn't see anybody. And then a zebra foal was right in front of him. "Hi there!"

Melman yelled in fright, awkwardly skipping backwards into the safety of the shelter.

"Oops," Marty mumbled. Melman tentatively looked outside. The zebra was standing a few yards away, looking guilty. He perked up when he saw that the giraffe had made a reappearance. "Hi! You're new here, right?" Melman nodded. Marty stepped towards him. "I'm Marty! What's your name?"

"M-Melman," he stammered, not recognizing his own voice. "Melman M-Mankiewicz the th-third!" _Marty seems nice, so why am I so nervous?_

"Oh, that's cool," Marty said. "I'm jus' Marty. And over there is Glo-"

"Ahem! I can introduce myself!" the female interrupted him. She hopped a fence and into the giraffe exhibit. _A hippo?_ "I'm Gloria!" she introduced herself, extending her hand. Melman slowly shook it with his hoof.

"N-n-nice to m-meet you," he greeted awkwardly. _Why can't I talk? She's just a girl…who happens to have pretty eyes._ Gloria smiled at him, unknowingly causing the giraffe to blush under his fur.

"Where'd ya come from?" Marty inquired. Melman blinked.

"The Bronx." The two other young animals' eyes widened.

"Ooh!" Gloria exclaimed. "My mama told me about that place once. It's a real big zoo, ain't it?" He just nodded. "I've lived here my whole life. Mama got transferred to another zoo a month or so ago, somethin' to do with the _breeding program_. Whatever that is."

"My daddy was from there!" Marty boasted, his head held unnaturally high. Gloria giggled at her friend's pride. Melman felt himself smiling, too, enjoying the company of the friendly zebra and hippo. Maybe this place wouldn't be so bad after all. "I mean, I never met him, but Ma said he was from there…" His teal eyes saddened for a moment as he remembered his mother. He shook his head quickly, as if trying to return to his positive mood. "Sometimes I like to imagine –" He stopped suddenly, his muzzle twitching with fright. "Vet!" he yelled, jumping over a wall and into his own exhibit across from Melman's. "Save yourselves!"

"What?" Melman asked Gloria, confused. Gloria rolled her eyes.

"Marty doesn't like the vet," she explained. Melman tilted his head. Who didn't like the vet? The vet team was one of the greatest groups of humans alive – sacrificing their time to make sure animals didn't fall victim to illness. The Bronx Zoo vets were some of Melman's best friends, always making sure he stayed healthy and that his habitat was clean and disease-free. But what if the Central Park Zoo vets were different? What if they were really mean? Perhaps Marty had a reason to be afraid. Gloria noticed his terrified expression. "Melman," she said gently, trying to reassure him, "there's nothin' to be afraid of. Marty just gets a little nervous about stuff like that."

Her voice sounded so calm and confident; Melman felt himself relax. Yeah. That made sense. A lot of young animals were afraid of the vet, and even some adult ones, too. And what was there to be afraid of, anyways? Needles? He himself had had _plenty_ of vaccines in his lifetime, including one for lyme disease, and another one for chicken pox. Could giraffes even contract chicken pox? Better safe than sorry.

"I gotta go, Melman!" Gloria apologized, heading back to her habitat. "Sometimes the humans don't really like us visiting… Good luck with the vet!" He waved goodbye to her, sorry that she had to go so soon. She was really nice, but being around her made his stomach feel…weird. It felt like butterflies were inside, fighting desperately against each other to escape. Maybe the vets would find something. Like a stomach virus, or maybe –

"Hey there, little guy!" a man greeted cheerfully. He walked up to the worried giraffe, preparing to listen to his heartbeat and breathing. A woman checked his ears, eyes , and gums. Another man carefully felt up and down his neck, putting pressure on different areas.

"Dr. Goldberg," the second man said to the woman, "take a blood sample so we can send it to the lab for testing!" Dr. Goldberg nodded.

"Yes sir, Dr. Maneesh!" She took a syringe out of a black case. "Okay, little dude, you're gonna feel a little pinch." Melman braced himself, only wincing a little when he felt the needle pierce his skin.

"His vital signs seem to be normal, although his heartbeat is a little fast. We'll see what the results of the blood test are in a week!" The first man offered the giraffe a carrot, which he accepted eagerly. Dr. Goldberg and Dr. Maneesh gave him friendly pats, and the three of them left the enclosure. Melman raised an eyebrow. That was it? He laughed to himself. That had been a piece of cake!

"Goodnight, Melman! Goodnight, Marty!" Gloria called from her enclosure. Melman stuck his head outside. In the darkness he could barely make out her form, silhouetted by the silvery moonlight.

"Night, Glo!" Marty shouted. "Night, Melman!"

"Goodnight, guys!" Melman yelled back. He sighed, beginning to like his new home. Marty and Gloria would make great friends, he just knew it. He lay down on the bed of hay in the corner of the brick shelter. He recalled that his mother could sleep standing up, but he didn't know how she managed to do so. He wondered what she was doing. Was she still awake? Was she thinking of him, too?

_ Goodnight, Mama._

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**What is this? Does Melman have a crush? Hm? hehehe ;)**

**Okay, so, first of all, I apologize. I wrote this chapter the same day I wrote the first one, but I didn't like it so I kept rewriting it. And I just started high school, so for awhile I was, like, SUPER stressed out. But anywho, I'm starting to get used to things so the chapters _may_ (no promises) be up faster than this. I tried to keep everybody in character. I'm sorry if it seems rushed or ramble-ish or whatever, but I _had_ to get it done tonight. I just _had _to X3**

**Thanks to my awesome reviewer(s) who keep asking for another chapter. I just wanna know that I appreciate it :D**

**Bai! :3**


	3. Alex

**Disclaimer - I do not own anything of the Madagascar Franchise, that belongs to the amazing people of DreamWorks. The only thing I claim as mine is the events that do NOT occur anywhere in the franchise ^.^**

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_Alex_

"Melman, why you wearin' that thing on your head?" Marty inquired for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning. He gestured to the large white cone on Melman's head, his eyebrows raised.

"I _told_ you, Marty," the young giraffe exasperated. "Dr. Goldberg said I had to wear it!"

"Sure," Marty teased, rolling his eyes playfully. "Ya know, sometimes I think you _enjoy_ wearing it."

"What! No I don't," Melman scoffed. He had been at the zoo for a little over a month now, and had become very close friends with both Gloria and Marty. Gloria comforted him when he was feeling sad, while Marty got everybody laughing again with his antics. Melman knew that he couldn't ask for better friends. They had made the zoo transfer much, much easier, and he was grateful.

"Guys!" Gloria shouted excitedly, running up to the fence. "Guess what?" She stopped and looked curiously at Melman. "Why is he wearin' that silly cone-thing on his head?" The giraffe coughed.

"'Cause he likes it," Marty explained, earning a glare from Melman. The zebra laughed, shaking his head. "So what's gotcha so excited, Glo?"

"You know that empty exhibit that's 'cross from mine? Somebody's finally moving in there!" Melman's gaze drifted over to the empty pen that was between his and Marty's. He hadn't paid much attention to it before. It was about the same size as his, but it had a tall, flat rock in the center. What kind of animal would be put in there?

"When's this new guy – or girl – comin'?" Marty asked her, also looking thoughtfully at the enclosure. Gloria grinned and pointed.

"Right now!"

Several keepers in the typical, yellow-and-olive uniform entered the pen, one of them carrying something small and furry. Melman strained his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse at the newcomer. The people were obviously excited, for they had gathered in a large crowd in front of the exhibit. Children pushed to the front, whispering excitedly to one another. Gloria hopped up on a post, trying to get a better view. The keeper climbed up the steps to the top of the rock, and set the small creature down. He gave it a pat, and walked away. The little animal flicked its black-tipped ears and stood up.

"Is that a lion?" Marty wondered out loud. Melman coughed.

"Yep."

The lion cub looked at all of the people nervously. He let out a little mew, striking a subtle pose. The people laughed and cheered. He looked as his paws, as if realizing what he was supposed to do. He began to twirl, stumbling at first. His simple dance moves became increasingly more elaborate each time as he began to feel comfortable on his stage. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying it.

"Man, that guy can _dance_!" Gloria commented. Melman raised an eyebrow. So what? Lots of guys could dance…

"That guy's a show-off," Marty pointed out. Gloria smiled, resting her chin on her hands.

"Well _I _think he's kinda cute!" Melman felt his throat go dry.

"Y-you think h-he's cute?" he managed to stammer. He coughed nervously. Gloria didn't respond, but continued to gaze at the lion with her pretty brown eyes. What if she liked this lion cub? What if he liked her? He hastily brushed the thought away. Just because she thought he was cute didn't mean that she liked him…right? Why did he care so much anyways? They were just friends!

"I'm not sure I like this guy," Marty said skeptically. Gloria looked at him, confused.

"Why not?"

"Because he's a show-off," the zebra muttered as the cub waved to the cheering crowd and hopped down from the rock. Gloria waved.

"Hey!" she greeted. "Where'd ya learn to dance like that?" He looked startled, apparently not having noticed the three young animals watching him. "You're amazing!"

"I – uh – I taught myself," he murmured, looking at his feet. Gloria's jaw dropped in pure amazement. Melman rolled his eyes.

"So what's your name?" Marty spoke up. The little lion looked thoughtful.

"Daddy called me Alakay," he whimpered, his sapphire-blue eyes saddening. "The people call me Alex." His gaze fell once again, and it was evident that he was fighting back tears. Marty's expression softened. The zebra jumped over the fence to comfort the newest arrival.

"Hey, now!" he said softly, taking care not to upset the cub any more. He laid a gentle hoof on his shoulder. "Alex, we've all been new before. You're gonna love it here, trust me!" Alex smiled a little. "The name's Marty." The lion looked at Gloria and Melman. Gloria giggled.

"I-I'm Gloria!" she introduced herself, smiling shyly. "Nice to meet you, Alex." Melman frowned. Gloria was acting weird. _Really_ weird.

"I'm Melman," the giraffe said flatly. Marty raised an eyebrow. Melman looked away, hoping the zebra wasn't getting any ideas.

"Alex," Gloria began, "do you think you could teach ushow to dance like you?" Marty nodded enthusiastically. Alex rubbed the back of his head, deep in thought, accidentally ruffling the short, tan fur. Then he grinned.

"I could try." Gloria squealed, jumping into the lion habitat with Alex and Marty. The hippo turned to Melman, who was still on the other side of the fence in his own enclosure.

"C'mon, Melman!" she urged.

Melman shook his head, trying to explain that he wasn't much of a dancer. Although, he hadn't really _tried_ to dance before, either. Why take a chance on embarrassing himself in front of Alex, Marty, and Gloria?

_ I should give it a shot!_

_ Or not._

_ Giraffes can't dance._

"I-I'll catch up with you guys later!" he called as he made his way to the brick shelter. "I gotta…I have to take my medicine!" He ducked into the safety of the shelter, accidentally hitting the wall with the cone around his head. He hated that thing, but it prevented him from scratching at the places where he had gotten his vaccinations.

The giraffe stood motionless in the middle of the floor, trying to concentrate. If Alex could dance, why couldn't he? He awkwardly stuck out one of his long legs, causing him to lose balance and fall down. He tried to dance on his hind legs, but he kept tripping over his clumsy hooves, not to mention that he had no idea of what to do with his arms.

Depressed, tired, and defeated, Melman gave up. He could hear the laughter of his friends – and Alex – outside. He wished he could join them. The squeaking of the gate indicated that Dr. Maneesh had arrived to check and make sure that the giraffe was growing properly. Melman scowled as he heard Alex and Gloria laughing together. At the moment, he wasn't too fond of the lion cub. Not at all.

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**WOOP! Another chapter, DONE! Well, sort of. Can't say I'm too pleased with it. I always have too much or too little dialogue. I wanna know what you think :)**

**And I am sad to say that this story has lost some of its... _uniqueness. _Oh well. :P**

**Seems how it's past 11 pm here and I have a junk load of homework to do tomorrow, I will probably be going to bed now :3**

**I'm just gonna forewarn you, the next chapter probably won't be up for a week or so because this chapter took a different turn than what I had originally planned and yada yada. **

**Thanks to all of my readers! Y'all are amazing 3  
Bye!**


	4. Those Awkward Teenage Years

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to DreamWorks! The only thing I claim here are the character descriptions of the doctors. :3**

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_Those Awkward Teenage Years_

"Melman, Melman, Mel-man! It's time to get up! Rise and shine!"

Melman groaned in response to the cheery, teenaged lion tap dancing on the roof. Alex positioned himself so that he was peering into the giraffe's shelter. Melman, his friends, and Alex, had known each other for more than a year now. Alex and Marty had immediately bonded, which Melman found a bit odd considering the zebras and lions at the Bronx had been sworn enemies. Nevertheless, he was glad that the cat had found deep friendship with someone other than Gloria.

"Hey, buddy!" Alex greeted. "Wassup?" Melman yawned, trying to hide his annoyance at the invasion of his personal space.

"Not much." _Besides the fact that some idiot is in my house._ "I have my biweekly appointment with Dr. Goldberg at nine. Dr. Maneesh is going to do an examination on my neck at four. Now that I think about it, I found a suspicious-looking spot on my shoulder, so I may have that checked out as well to make sure that it isn't cancerous. "To his surprise, Alex snickered. Melman scowled. _Why is he laughing? This is serious!_ "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Mel… It's just that you're _covered_ in brown spots."

"But this one is different!"

"I'm sure it is," Alex stated, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Melman walked out of his shelter just before Alex hopped to the ground, blowing his awkward, soon-to-be mane out of his eyes. The giraffe looked at the sky, wondering how much more of this he could take. Surely he would have a stroke or heart attack before too much longer –

"Mornin' guys!" Gloria called.

Melman shook himself out of his thoughts and waved at his beautiful friend. He walked over to the fence, knowing that she no longer entered the other exhibits on a regular basis.

"Good morning, Gloria," he greeted, "Did you sleep well?" The hippo nodded.

"Yep, I sure did! How 'bout you, hon?"

"Good. Well, good until a certain someone decided to wake me up," he said bitterly, looking over his shoulder at Alex who was singing rather off-key in Marty's pen. Gloria giggled.

"Relax, Melman," she began gently. "Alex's just one of those hyper-happy morning people." Melman laughed at that, because it was true. "He and Marty sure get along well."

Melman nodded. The lion and zebra's personalities blended perfectly, allowing a strong brotherly bond. Sure, they had little spats here and there, but any resentment they had towards each other usually passed within a few hours; then they were buddy-buddy again. The giraffe glanced at Gloria. She was his best friend. When he was nervous or worried –which was quite often – Gloria was there for him, her calm nature steadying him as he got over his many mild panic attacks. He tried to do the same for her when she was troubled; listening patiently and understandingly to her problems and offering the best advice he could.

The pair told each other secrets and shared inside jokes – but there was one thing that Melman never wanted her to know. When he first met her on the day he arrived in Central Park, he had felt something stir in his heart. As he got to know her more, his pulse quickened and his throat tightened at the sight of her. He felt a fluttering sensation in his chest. At first, he had thought it was nausea. However, it didn't feel bad. It took him awhile to figure it out, but once he did, there was no denying it. He no longer made excuses for the pangs of jealousy that nagged at him every time he saw her talking to Alex. He knew that what he felt towards her was more than friendship.

"Melman?" Gloria's voice brought him out of his reverie once more. "Everything okay, sweetheart?" The giraffe nodded vigorously.

"Yeah, I just –uh – just remembered that have an appointment in a few minutes." The hippo eyed him suspiciously. He could tell that she didn't believe him, but she said nothing more on the subject of his change in mood.

"Why do you do it?"

"Do what?" he asked, genuinely confused. Gloria gestured towards him.

"All of the appointments, taking medication so often…"

Melman shrugged slightly, unsure of how to answer.

"Well, for one there are diseases everywhere, and you can never be too careful. I could have two dozen illnesses right now and not even realize it!" He grew anxious at the thought of all the bacteria in the air. "Plus, the vets are really nice and good at what they do, and I only want to –"He stopped. Gloria didn't look like she understood exactly. The giraffe sighed. He hadn't really expected her to understand fully. He tried to find the right words to explain better. "It just… It keeps me going, y'know?" He knew that that statement in itself was a lie.

It wasn't the doctors and the prescriptions that encouraged him to get up and go outside every morning. It was _her. _Seeing her every day, hearing her laugh, her constant support and encouragement – that was what he looked forward to each day. But he was never going to tell her that.

"Yeah, I think I kind of see what you mean," Gloria said tentatively. Melman flashed her a grateful smile. He heard a human calling his name, and turned to see Dr. Goldberg at the far end of the exhibit, a carrot in her outstretched hand. The teenage giraffe turned his gaze back to Gloria.

"Bye, Gloria, I'll see you later."

"Bye, Melman!" she called after him as the lanky giraffe walked away. He sighed. How much longer could he keep this up? How long would it be until his secret came out? Dr. Goldberg handed him the carrot after he had reached her.

The kind, blonde woman wasted no time in checking his vital signs and making sure that everything was as it should be. She took a blood sample from his shoulder near the suspicious-looking spot. The doctor didn't even look twice at it, and Melman was relieved. After some vaccinations and more carrots, Dr. Goldberg gave the giraffe a friendly pat and exited the enclosure. Almost immediately after she left, Dr. Maneesh arrived. The African-American man felt up and down the giraffe's growing neck, making sure that everything was growing in the proper position.

By the time the chiropractor left, the sun had begun to set. Melman yawned, exhausted. He spotted Gloria, Alex, and Marty gathered in the center of the exhibits, laughing about something. They didn't seem to see the quiet giraffe at first.

"Hey, Mel!" Marty greeted. "Wassup?"

"Hey, Marty, Gloria...Alex. I just got done with Dr. Maneesh."

"Did he give you a lollipop?" Marty asked excitedly. Melman mocked disappointment.

"No."

"Darn it," Marty mumbled, looking crestfallen. He snickered. Soon, all four of the young animals were laughing at the zebra. Melman caught his breath, and spoke up.

"Actually, lollipops can cause cavities which can be very painful to remove." His friends merely stared at him.

"Killed it," Alex said flatly. Melman raised an eyebrow. "Totally killed the mood."

"Like you killed my peace this morning?"

"Are you _still_ mad about that?" Alex whined. Melman's eyes narrowed.

"Um…guys?" Marty's voice began quietly.

"Why are you so mad? I do that _every _morning," Alex pointed out.

"Melman, hon," Gloria said quietly, "I told you - " Melman frowned at her.

"Why are you _always_ defending _him_?" He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He hadn't meant to snap at her.

Gloria frowned, but said nothing. She merely stared at him. He looked away.

"Maybe it's because _you're_ always giving me a hard time," Alex pointed out, eyeing the giraffe. "What did I do, Melman? Why do you hate me so much?" Melman opened his mouth to speak, but immediately closed it. If he said anything concerning his little secret, his friendship with Gloria would crumble, and that was the last thing he wanted to happen.

He glanced around at the other three animals, trying desperately to think of something to say in order to get the attention directed away from himself. He couldn't just blurt out the truth, but he didn't feel comfortable lying to them either. It didn't feel right pressuring Alex more, or bringing Marty into it. The zebra had done nothing wrong; he had a been trying to help. The giraffe drew in a deep breath.

"Alex…" he began, still figuring out his words. The lion stared at him intensely, waiting for an explanation, but none came. "I'm sorry I've been so hateful towards you. I…I hope you can – I would like to – will you forgive me?" Alex stared at him, the tension beneath the surface threatening to strangle Melman.

"Of course, dude!" Alex said cheerfully. Beneath his plastered smile, he could tell that the lion still didn't understand, or fully forgive him. "We're all buds, right?" He held out his paw for Melman to shake. Melman tentatively placed his hoof in the feline's paw, and it was shaken roughly. Gloria sighed.

"Well, I'm glad we're all friends now," she said, "but it's getting' late and I better hit the sack. Night guys."

"'Night, Glo," the three males said in unison. She waved, and cast a suspicious look in Melman's direction, which he refused to meet. As the hippo jumped into her pool, Alex and Marty turned to Melman.

"Aren't you gonna tell us what is _really_ goin' on?" Marty pressed. Melman feigned nonchalance and shrugged.

"There's nothing to tell, besides the fact that I didn't really…_trust_ you at first, Alex," he explained, only half-telling the truth. "But I didn't really know you, and now I do."

"That's it?"

"Yep… Goodnight."Melman walked away, his heart racing. He heard the lion and zebra mumble a goodnight. The giraffe hurried to his brick shelter, not wanting to be spoken to any more that night. He knew that he had screwed up, and there was nothing he could do about it but hope that the others would forget about it. Maybe, one day, he would be brave enough to tell them the truth.

He knew that day wouldn't be anytime soon.

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**Oops. That took longer than I expected. Sooo I really liked this chapter until about halfway through and I started getting bored and confused, so I put it off for a few weeks and came back. I know. I'm a genius. **

**Anyways, I hope you liked this chapter more than I did. So much...Melorianess. Oh well. Heehee C:**

**I know for a fact that after I post this it will just get pushed down to the bottom _again_. The next chapter might take a bit longer than this one (I know what you're thinking. "Gosh darnit, Kellene, hurry up!") But I gotta keep up with all my school chiz, and I honestly only have a vague idea of what exactly I'm gonna do next. It's getting late and I gotta go. I hope you enjoy my large author's notes. lol.**

**Thanks for your patience and support. K bai :3**


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